Animal Attraction

“Embry… you have to… say out loud that you’ve kissed a boy and you liked it.” I was drunk. I’m not at my best when I’m drunk, all right? So my dare for Embry was a bit lame. Embry still didn’t like it by the look on his face.

“What is the punishment if I don’t?” He asked.

I smirked. “You have to give me a big tongue kiss.” I said making kissing sounds.

Embry stood up. “I kissed a boy and I liked it!” He said out loud. The bonfire went quiet and I burst out laughing. I was the only one laughing, but it was so funny. At least to me it was funny but to the rest they just shook their heads and went back to their business.

Embry sat back down. “Okay, Erin, truth or dare?”

“Truth.” I said.

He shook his head. “You’ve taken truth all the time.” He accused me.

I narrowed my eyes. “Fine, dare!” I said and threw my hands in the air. “What can you possibly dare me to do?”

I didn’t like the glint his eyes. He leaned in for dramatic effect. I rolled my eyes thinking his brain was too small to come up with a good dare.

“You have to get a kiss from… Paul.”

There was a silence for about five seconds as everyone processed what he just said. Heck, I still didn’t get it the first time.

“What?” I said in a light chuckle.

“You heard me, Erin, you have to get a kiss from Paul.” Embry said making kissing sounds mocking me from earlier and everyone in the circle ooh-ed. I glared hard at Embry. He had a triumphant smirk. He thought I wouldn’t take the dare.

“Punishment?” I asked.

“Skinny dipping, well you have to cliff dive naked.” Embry said.

I had to think about it. Which was worse? Kissing Paul? Or having everyone see me naked? And I mean everyone this party is huge. Almost everyone from school was there. I had to look over to the circle that Paul was at. He was talking with his date. I turned back to Embry who was wiggling his eyebrows.

“Dude, no fair, we all know Erin won’t get near Paul and vice versa.” Jared said standing up for me as he always did.

The thought of kissing Paul didn’t seem as bad when I was drunk. Actually as I stared at his lips with that smile he has never given me and those muscles--whoa… I’m checking out my worst enemy. I turned back to the circle.

“Just take the punishment, Erin.” Jared said in a sigh. “I’ll make sure no one sees you.”

I pursed my lips.

I stood up and took off my sweater.

“Ha, I knew you weren’t going to do it.” Embry said but I only winked at him when I moved towards Paul’s group.

I heard them whispering at each other. I squared my shoulders and cleared my throat. Paul’s eyes were on me as I sat down on the same log he was with his date. I put my hands out to the fire to warm them.

“What are you doing?” Paul whispered to me.

I had to do it. It was a dare and I never back down! I gave him the sweetest and most honest smile I could muster while being drunk, which surprisingly wasn’t that hard.

“It was getting boring playing middle school games.” I said.

“There’s a lot of other circles, go away.” He shooed me.

“It’s a free country, I can go wherever I want.” I snapped at him. Damn, I forgot I had to be nice and snapping wasn’t going to help.

“And you’re free to go to another log.” Paul hissed at me.

“Please, Paul, that girl isn’t even your type.” I said loud enough for his date to hear. “You like natural girls not clowns.” Yes, his date had a lot of make up and it just made her look like a clown.

The girl scoffed and stood up and walked away.

Paul called after her but she didn’t look back. Paul turned to me and I gave him a cheesy smile.

“Saved you.” I said. “She was just a one night stand.”

“So?!” He scoffed. “Maybe I wanted that.” He whispered to me.

I rolled my eyes. “Did you also want some type of STD? Maybe the claps?” I said and clapped my hands.

He glared at me with those dark brown eyes that could kill me.

“Why. Are. You. Here?” He was controlling his anger.

“I told you I was bored of playing games.” And before he could say anything I lunged myself at him and kissed him.

I kissed him square on the lips and I felt like my skin was on fire, not just because of his skin but because we had made physical contact. My body felt so alive because of the physical contact. I could feel every inch of him. At first, because of the initial shock, he didn’t kiss me but for some reason his arms went around my waist and he started to kiss me back. Suddenly the world silenced and all I could focus on was on the kiss and how good it felt.

How my heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest. I was nervous it was going to end soon and when it did it was because he pulled away. We looked into each other’s eyes realizing what we had just done. All those years of hate and we were kissing each other? We pulled away from each other like we had been zapped.

“What the fuck was that?!” He said wiping his mouth.

I rolled my eyes for his dramatic shout. “I believe it’s called making out. Never done it?” I joked.

He pointed his finger at me. “Stay away from me, you freak.” He got up and walked away.

The ones around the circle which included Sam, Emily and Jacob were looking at me with wide eyes. Everyone was. I got up from the log and wiped my butt in case there was something.

“What? Never seen two enemies make out?” I scoffed and walked back over to the circle with Jared and Kim.

I had to act like the kiss had not left me breathless and shaky. My hands were trembling. My brain screamed at me for that foolish shit and my heart… my heart was saying that should’ve happened a long time ago.

Embry was shocked that I did the dare. I looked at my cell phone.

“Ah, gotta go home. Lame party.” I said getting up and took one last shot of tequila.

“I’ll take you home.” Jared said getting up but I raised my hand.

“I need to get sober, so I’m walking.” I said getting my stuff and putting my sweater. “Plus, you and Kim need some alone time.”

“Are you sure?” Jared said trying to be a good friend.

“Yuppers.” I said popping my lips. I waved at them but didn’t acknowledge Quil nor Embry.

I found the road that led to my house and stayed by the edge of the road. The night was warmer than usual which was good but it was still a bit cold. It was so quiet except for the animal noises at night. The owls and crickets. At times like this I wished I had some kind of music device but my mom and I were lucky enough to get money.

My dad did send money--secretly since his wife and kids didn’t know I existed--but it was only enough to buy two weeks worth of food. There was still bills, mortgagee and the car payments because my mom’s jobs were in Portland.

So with time I started to think about the kiss. I groaned because I liked it. I fucking loved it and my body craved for more. I was stupid for taking the dare in the first fucking place. If I hadn’t kissed Paul I wouldn’t be thinking about him and eventually ended up sleeping with him.

I was a block away from my house when I noticed someone at the porch of my house. It didn’t take long for me to realize who it was.

“What the hell are you doing here, Paul?” I asked him with a bored and tired tone.

“Why did you kiss me?” He growled.

I reached my porch and when I was at the top step I noticed how tiny I was compared to him.

“Don’t worry, it was a dare. No biggie.”

His shoulders went down and his muscles relaxed at my words.

“It was a dare?” He asked.

“Is there an echo? Yes!” I said frustrated. I took out my keys and he was still here.

“So… it had no meaning to you?”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Why are you acting like a girl? Why would it mean anything? We’re enemies! I hate you!” I said and turned around.

He took my arm and turned me back around.

“Why are you such a bitch?” He asked.

“Why do you care if I am? It doesn’t hurt you. Go away!” I yelled in his face.

“It was a mistake coming.”

“Yeah, it was, buddy.” I said. “Now, if you please would get the hell off of my porch!” I knew I was being mean and when I looked into his eyes I thought I saw something pass through them. I couldn’t identify it back then but now I know it was hurt. My words had hurt him and I didn’t have an idea why.

I had no idea back then that Paul had imprinted on me. That my worst enemy was in love with me and that my words had stabbed his heart... good.